Molecular and phenotypic characterization of seedling and adult plant leaf rust resistance in a world wheat collection

Genetic resistance is the most effective approach to managing wheat leaf rust. The aim of this study was to characterize seedling and adult plant leaf rust resistance of a world wheat collection. Using controlled inoculation with ten races of Puccinia triticina, 14 seedling resistance genes were determined or postulated to be present in the collection. Lr1, Lr3, Lr10 and Lr20 were the most prevalent genes around the world while Lr9, Lr14b, Lr3ka and/or Lr30 and Lr26 were rare. To confirm some gene postulations, the collection was screened with gene-specific molecular markers for Lr1, Lr10, Lr21 and Lr34. Although possessing the Lr1 and/or Lr10 gene-specific marker, 51 accessions showed unexpected high infection types to P. triticina race BBBD. The collection was tested in the field, where rust resistance ranged from nearly immune or highly resistant with severity of 1 % and resistant host response to highly susceptible with severity of 84 % and susceptible host response. The majority of the accessions possessing the adult plant resistance (APR) gene Lr34 had a maximum rust severity of 0–35 %, similar to or better than accession RL6058, a Thatcher-Lr34 near-isogenic line. Many accessions displayed an immune response or a high level of resistance under field conditions, likely as a result of synergy between APR genes or between APR and seedling resistance genes. However, accessions with three or more seedling resistance genes had an overall lower field severity than those with two or fewer. Immune or highly resistant accessions are potential sources for improvement of leaf rust resistance. In addition, some lines were postulated to have known but unidentified genes/alleles or novel genes, also constituting potentially important sources of novel resistance.     

Seedling and adult plant resistance to Sitobion avenae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Triticum monococcum (Poaceae), an ancestor of wheat

Cereal aphids are important pests of wheat, Triticum aestivum L. and Triticum durum Desf. Crop resistance is a desirable method for managing cereal aphids in central North America, where the dominant crop, spring-sown wheat, has a low value per unit area. A diploid ancestor of wheat, Triticum monococcum L., is reported to be partially resistant to Sitobion avenae (Fabricius), the most damaging cereal aphid in the region. To identify potential sources of resistance, 42 accessions of T. monococcum and three cultivated wheats were infested with aphids, seedlings for six days and adult plants for 21 days. Overall resistance was estimated by the biomass loss of foliage and spikes in relation to uninfested control plants. Antibiosis was estimated by the gain in biomass of aphids during infestation, and tolerance was estimated as a biomass conversion ratio, overall resistance divided by antibiosis. A few T. monococcum accessions exhibited partial resistance. No relationship was found between seedling and adult plant resistance: the former exhibited primarily antibiosis and the latter primarily tolerance. Two accessions with antibiosis reduced aphid biomass by 60% compared with commercial wheats. Tolerance was correlated with growth potential, and was useful only in accessions with high growth potential. Four accessions exhibited tolerance levels at least 30% greater than commercial wheats. Highly susceptible accessions also were identified, which would be useful for investigating the inheritance of antibiosis and tolerance.     

Components of quantitative resistance in sunflower to Alternaria helianthi

Components of quantitative resistance, spore production, incubation period, infection frequency and mean lesion size were measured in 17 sunflower accessions inoculated with conidia of Alternuria helianthi under controlled conditions. The same accessions were also rated for disease reaction in the field in 1994 and 1995 using a generated epidemic and varied in their disease reactions from highly susceptible to highly resistant. Spearman's ranking of accessions was highly correlated (r = 0.9) for both years; however, the ranking of components measured under controlled conditions with field severity was generally poor. Regression analysis of components with field severity ratings of the accessions showed that mean lesion size was highly correlated (r = O.74) and infection frequency was moderately correlated (r = 0.58) with the field severity ratings taken over the two years. Infection frequency was also well correlated (r = 0.75) with mean lesion size. Spore production and incubation period were poorly correlated with the field severity ratings for both years. An index based on infection frequency and mean lesion size gave a better correlation with the 1995 field severity ratings than either component alone, but in 1994 the index was not as well correlated with field severity as mean lesion size alone. It is suggested that mean lesion size, determined from plants 7–9 days after inoculation could be used to select for resistance to A. helianthi in the greenhouse. Infection frequency could also be used as a predictor of resistance, but to a lesser degree.     

Partial resistance to leaf rust in a collection of ancient Spanish barleys

A collection of 569 Spanish barley accessions was screened for resistance to leaf rust (Puccinia hordei Otth) in the field at Córdoba during the 2000-2001 season. The level of resistance ranged from very low to very high. In 14% of the accessions the relative AUDPC (L94 = 100%) was lower than 10%. Selected accessions that were most resistant in the field, were tested in the seedling stage under controlled conditions. Macroscopic components of resistance indicated that six lines had a high level of partial resistance close to check cv. Vada and one line a similar level of partial resistance. Histological studies indicated that the resistance was based on a high percentage of early aborted colonies and reduction in colony size without plant cell necrosis. Three of the selected lines showed high percentage of plant cell necrosis associated with established colonies, which indicates a combination of prehaustorial resistance with late acting incomplete posthaustorial resistance. Although the new barley varieties already incorporate some partial resistance, new sources of partial resistance like these are needed to improve durability of the resistance.     

Genetic studies of leaf and stem rust resistance in six accessions of Triticum turgidum var. dicoccoides.

Six accessions of Triticum turgidum var. dicoccoides L. (4x, AABB) of diverse origin were tested with 10 races of leaf rust (Puccinia recondita f.sp. tritici Rob. ex Desm.) and 10 races of stem rust (P. graminis f.sp. tritici Eriks. &Henn.). Their infection type patterns were all different from those of lines carrying the Lr or Sr genes on the A or B genome chromosomes with the same races. The unique reaction patterns are probably controlled by genes for leaf rust or stem rust resistance that have not been previously identified. The six dicoccoides accessions were crossed with leaf rust susceptible RL6089 durum wheat and stem rust susceptible 'Kubanka' durum wheat to determine the inheritance of resistance. They were also crossed in diallel to see whether they carried common genes. Seedlings of F1, F2, and BC1F2 generations from the crosses of the dicoccoides accessions with RL6089 were tested with leaf rust race 15 and those from the crosses with 'Kubanka' were tested with stem rust race 15B-1. The F2 populations from the diallel crosses were tested with both races. The data from the crosses with the susceptible durum wheats showed that resistance to leaf rust race 15 and stem rust race 15B-1 in each of the six dicoccoides accessions is conferred by a single dominant or partially dominant gene. In the diallel crosses, the dominance of resistance appeared to be affected by different genetic backgrounds. With one exception, the accessions carry different resistance genes: CI7181 and PI 197483 carry a common gene for resistance to leaf rust race 15. Thus, wild emmer wheat has considerable genetic diversity for rust resistance and is a promising source of new rust resistance genes for cultivated wheats.     

Genetic dissection of seminal root architecture in elite durum wheat germplasm

Although root architecture has been shown to play an important role in crop performance, particularly under drought conditions, no information is available on the genetic control of root traits in durum wheat, a crop largely grown in rainfed areas with low rainfall. In our study, a panel of 57 elite durum wheat accessions were evaluated under controlled conditions for root and shoot traits at the seedling stage. Significant genetic variability was detected for all the root and shoot traits that were investigated. Correlation analysis suggested that root and shoot features were only partially controlled by common sets of genes. The high linkage disequilibrium (up to 5 cM) present in the germplasm collection herein considered allowed us to use simple sequence repeat‐based association mapping to identify chromosome regions with significant effects on the investigated traits. In total, 15 chromosome regions showed significant effects on one or more root architectural features. A number of these regions also influenced shoot traits and, in some cases, plant height measured in field conditions. Major effects were detected on chromosome arms 2AL (at Xgwm294), 7AL (at Xcfa2257 and Xgwm332) and 7BL (at Xgwm577 and Xcfa2040). The accessions with the most remarkable differences in root features will provide a valuable opportunity to assemble durum wheat mapping populations well suited for ascertaining the effects of root architecture on water use efficiency and grain yield.     

Association mapping of leaf rust response in durum wheat

Resistance to leaf rust (Puccinia triticina Eriks.) is a main objective for durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) breeding. Association mapping on germplasm collections is now being used as an additional approach for the discovery and validation of major genes/QTLs. In this study, a collection of 164 elite durum wheat accessions suitable for association mapping has been tested for leaf rust response at the seedling stage and under field conditions (adult plant stage). Seedling tests were carried out with 25 selected isolates from durum wheat, bread wheat and triticale, while field experiments were carried out in artificially inoculated plots in Italy and in Mexico. The collection has been profiled with 225 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci of known map position and a PCR assay targeting Ppd-A1. Associations showing highly consistent experiment-wise significances across leaf rust isolates and field trials were mainly detected for the 7BL distal chromosome (chr.) region (harbouring Lr14 from cultivar Llareta INIA and QLr.ubo-7B.2 from cultivar Creso) and for two chr. regions located in chrs. 2A and 2B. Additionally, isolate-specific associations and/or associations with smaller effects in the field trials were identified in most of the chromosomes. The chr. 7BL distal region was investigated in detail through haplotyping with 15 SSR markers, revealing that the Creso and Llareta INIA alleles are identical by descent at 6 adjacent SSR loci in the most distal 7BL region spanning 8 cM. Association mapping allowed us to further refine the map location of the Lr14/QLr.ubo-7B.2 resistance gene to the most distal region of the linkage group, tagged by Xcfa2257.2, Xgwm344.2 and Xwmc10. The resistant haplotype is present in a number of accessions (ca. 15% of the accessions included in the collection) from the Italian, CIMMYT and ICARDA breeding programmes. Therefore, this chr. 7BL region can be considered as the most important source of resistance to leaf rust currently exploited by durum breeders in the Mediterranean areas. Furthermore, the field trials at the adult plant stage allowed us to identify marker associations (e.g. chrs. 2BL and 3BS, proximal regions; chr. 7BS, distal region) which suggest the presence of minor QTLs for slow-rusting resistance.     

Global diversity of durum wheat Triticum durum Desf. for alleles of gliadin-coding loci

Genetic diversity for the alleles of gliadin-coding loci was studied with 465 durum wheat accessions from 42 countries. A total of 108 alleles were identified for four loci; 60 alleles were described for the first time. Broad diversity of rare gliadin-coding alleles was observed. The highest genetic diversity was characteristic of durum wheat accessions from the Middle East, Trans-Caucasia, the Pyrenean Peninsula, and the Balkans. Two genetically isolated ancient branches of durum wheat were isolated. A “southern” branch included mostly accessions from the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, and Trans-Caucasia. A “northern” branch included Russian and Ukrainian durum wheat accessions and varieties obtained on their basis. An additional group included durum wheat accessions that had been obtained in several past decades on the basis of the material of international breeding centers (CIMMYT and ICARDA) and had low genetic diversity.     

Iron deficiency in lentil: Yield loss and geographic distribution in a germplasm collection

Iron deficiency symptoms are observed on some genotypes of lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) grown in calcareous soil. A germplasm collection of 3512 accessions originating from 18 countries was characterized for iron deficiency in a Calcic Rhodoxeralf soil at ICARDA, Tel Hadya, Syria in the 1979/80 season. At 105 days after sowing, 592 accessions, representing 16.9% of the collection, showed chlorosis symptoms characteristic of iron (Fe) deficiency. The Fe deficiency was verified by foliar application of Fe-chelate. Germplasm from different countries showed differences in iron deficiency, with those accessions exhibiting symptoms of iron deficiency mostly originating from relatively warm climates such as India (37.5% accessions showing Fe deficiency) and Ethiopia (30%). Populations from those Mediterranean countries where lentil originated (Syria and Turkey) exhibited Fe-deficiency symptoms only at very low frequencies. Fe-deficiency induced chlorosis was positively correlated with cold susceptibility. Fe chlorosis was transient, the deficiency symptoms largely disappearing during reproductive growth at a time, coinciding with increases in soil temperature and daylength-conditions favorable for plant growth. In Indian germplasm, mild deficiency symptoms did not lead to reduced seed yield, but there was a major yield reduction of 47% in those accessions with the most severe symptoms. Straw yields was reduced commensurately with the severity of symptoms. ei]Section editor: B G Rolfe     

Resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Soil-borne cereal mosaic virus</Emphasis> in durum wheat is controlled by a major QTL on chromosome arm 2BS and minor loci

Soil-borne cereal mosaic (SBCM) is a viral disease, which seriously affects hexaploid as well as tetraploid wheat crops in Europe. In durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), the elite germplasm is characterized by a wide range of responses to SBCMV, from susceptibility to almost complete resistance. In this study, the genetic analysis of SBCMV resistance was carried out using a population of 181 durum wheat recombinant inbred lines (RILs) obtained from Meridiano (resistant) × Claudio (moderately susceptible), which were profiled with SSR and DArT markers. The RILs were characterized for SBCMV response in the field under severe and uniform SBCMV infection during 2007 and 2008. A wide range of disease reactions (as estimated by symptom severity and DAS-ELISA) was observed. A large portion of the variability for SBCMV response was explained by a major QTL (QSbm.ubo-2BS) located in the distal telomeric region of chromosome 2BS near the marker triplet Xbarc35–Xwmc661–Xgwm210, with R ² values ranging from 51.6 to 91.6%. The favorable allele was contributed by Meridiano. Several QTLs with minor effects on SBCMV response were also detected. Consistently with the observed transgressive segregation, the resistance alleles at minor QTLs were contributed by both parents. The presence and effects of QSbm.ubo-2BS were validated through association mapping in a panel of 111 elite durum wheat accessions.     

Isolation of EST-derived microsatellite markers for genotyping the A and B genomes of wheat

Genetic variation present in 64 durum wheat accessions was investigated by using three sources of microsatellite (SSR) markers: EST-derived SSRs (EST-SSRs) and two sources of SSRs isolated from total genomic DNA. Out of 245 SSR primer pairs screened, 22 EST-SSRs and 20 genomic-derived SSRs were polymorphic and used for genotyping. The EST-SSR primers produced high quality markers, but had the lowest level of polymorphism (25%) compared to the other two sources of genomic SSR markers (53%). The 42 SSR markers detected 189 polymorphic alleles with an average number of 4.5 alleles per locus. The coefficient of similarity ranged from 0.28 to 0.70 and the estimates of similarity varied when different sources of SSR markers were used to genotype the accessions. This study showed that EST-derived SSR markers developed in bread wheat are polymorphic in durum wheat when assaying loci of the A and B genomes. A minumum of ten EST-SSRs generated a very low probability of identity (0.36×10⁻¹²) indicating that these SSRs have a very high discriminatory power. EST-SSR markers directly sample variation in transcribed regions of the genome, which may enhance their value in marker-assisted selection, comparative genetic analysis and for exploiting wheat genetic resources by providing a more-direct estimate of functional diversity. Received: 19 December 2000 / Accepted: 17 April 2001     

Genome-wide linkage disequilibrium analysis in bread wheat and durum wheat.

Bread wheat and durum wheat were examined for linkage disequilibrium (LD) using microsatellite markers distributed across the genome. The allele database consisted of 189 bread wheat accessions genotyped at 370 loci and 93 durum wheat accessions genotyped at 245 loci. A significance level of p < 0.001 was set for all comparisons. The bread and durum wheat collections showed that 47.9% and 14.0% of all locus pairs were in LD, respectively. LD was more prevalent between loci on the same chromosome compared with loci on independent chromosomes and was highest between adjacent loci. Only a small fraction (bread wheat, 0.9%; durum wheat, 3.2%) of the locus pairs in LD showed R2 values > 0.2. The LD between adjacent locus pairs extended (R2 > 0.2) approximately 2-3 cM, on average, but some regions of the bread and durum wheat genomes showed high levels of LD (R2 = 0.7 and 1.0, respectively) extending 41.2 and 25.5 cM, respectively. The wheat collections were clustered by similarity into subpopulations using unlinked microsatellite data and the software Structure. Analysis within subpopulations showed 14- to 16-fold fewer locus pairs in LD, higher R2 values for those pairs in LD, and LD extending further along the chromosome. The data suggest that LD mapping of wheat can be performed with simple sequence repeats to a resolution of <5 cM.     

Genome-wide association mapping for seedling and field resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Puccinia striiformis</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">tritici</Emphasis> in elite durum wheat

Key message

Genome-wide association analysis in tetraploid wheat revealed novel and diverse loci for seedling and field resistance to stripe rust in elite spring durum wheat accessions from worldwide.

Abstract

Improving resistance to stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a major objective for wheat breeding. To identify effective stripe rust resistance loci, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using 232 elite durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) lines from worldwide breeding programs. Genotyping with the 90 K iSelect wheat single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array resulted in 11,635 markers distributed across the genome. Response to stripe rust infection at the seedling stage revealed resistant and susceptible accessions present in rather balanced frequencies for the six tested races, with a higher frequency of susceptible responses to United States races as compared to Italian races (61.1 vs. 43.1% of susceptible accessions). Resistance at the seedling stage only partially explained adult plant resistance, which was found to be more frequent with 67.7% of accessions resistant across six nurseries in the United States. GWAS identified 82 loci associated with seedling stripe rust resistance, five of which were significant at the false discovery rate adjusted P value <0.1 and 11 loci were detected for the field response at the adult plant stages in at least two environments. Notably, Yrdurum-1BS.1 showed the largest effect for both seedling and field resistance, and is therefore considered as a major locus for resistance in tetraploid wheat. Our GWAS study is the first of its kind for stripe rust resistance in tetraploid wheat and provides an overview of resistance in elite germplasm and reports new loci that can be used in breeding resistant cultivars.

     

Molecular Characterization and Comparative Analysis of Six Durum Wheat Accessions Including Graziella Ra

Genetic identity and relatedness of the durum wheat Graziella Ra, four Italian commercial durum cultivars (Cappelli, Grazia, Flaminio and Svevo) and Kamut were evaluated using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs), simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and α-gliadin gene sequence analysis. Our primary objective was to study molecular genetic diversity in such a set of wheats including three modern (Grazia, Flaminio and Svevo) and three older (Cappelli, Kamut and Graziella Ra) durum accessions. Specifically, we aimed at determining the relationship between the historic accession Graziella Ra and Kamut, which is considered an ancient relative of the durum subspecies. Obtained results revealed that (1) both AFLP and SSR molecular markers detected highly congruent patterns of genetic diversity among the accessions showing nearly similar efficiency; (2) for AFLPs, percentage of polymorphic loci within accession ranged from 6.57% to 19.71% (mean, 12.77%) and for SSRs, from 0% to 57.14% (mean, 28.57%); (3) principal component analysis of genetic distance among accessions showed the first two axes accounting for 58.03% (for AFLPs) and 61.60% (for SSRs) of the total variability; (4) for AFLPs, molecular variance was partitioned into 80% (variance among accessions) and 20% (within accession) and for SSRs, into 73% (variance among accessions) and 27% (within accession); (5) cluster analysis of AFLPs and SSRs datasets displayed Graziella Ra and Kamut constantly grouped into the same cluster; and (6) molecular comparison of α-gliadin gene sequences showed Graziella Ra and Kamut in separate clusters. All these findings support the hypothesis that Graziella Ra and Kamut, although very similar, at least in the little part of the genome investigated by molecular markers employed in this study, might be considered as distinct accessions.     

Genetic control of NaCl tolerance in seedlings of durum wheat <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum durum</Emphasis> Desf. accessions

The genetic control of tolerance to NaCl (0.7 MPa, 9.8 g/l) was studied in six durum wheat accessions from the world collection of the Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry. Analysis of F₁, F₂, and F₃ of the crosses between tolerant forms and a in accessions k-17227 and k-10930susceptible tester has demonstrated that a high salt tolerance is determined by one dominant gene; in accession k-46660, by three independent dominant genes; and in accessions k-15305 and k-41884, by single genes without dominance effect. Potential allelism of the salt tolerance genes has been studied for the accessions with monogenically determined salt tolerance, and either identity or tight linkage of the genes determining salt tolerance of accessions k-15305 and k-41884 has been demonstrated. Provisional designations Tsa1, Tsa2, and Tsa3 are proposed for the genetic factors determining salt tolerance of accessions k-10930, k-17227, and k-15305, respectively.     

Relationships among durum wheat accessions. I. Comparative analysis of SSR, AFLP, and phenotypic data.

The determination of genetic relatedness among elite materials of crop species allows for more efficient management of breeding programs and for the protection of breeders' rights. Seventy simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 234 amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) were used to profile a collection of 58 durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) accessions, representing the most important extant breeding programs. In addition, 42 phenotypic traits, including the morphological characteristics recommended for the official distinctness, uniformity, and stability tests, were recorded. The correlation between the genetic similarities obtained with the 2 marker classes was high (r = 0.81), whereas lower values were observed between molecular and phenotypic data (r = 0.46 and 0.56 for AFLPs and SSRs, respectively). Morphological data, even if sampled in high numbers, largely failed to describe the pattern of genetic similarity, according to known pedigree data and the indications provided by molecular markers.     

High SSR diversity but little differentiation between accessions of Nordic timothy (Phleum pratense L.)

A large collection of genebank accessions of the hexaploid outcrossing forage grass species timothy (Phleum pratense L.) was for the first time analysed for SSR diversity on individual, population and regional level. Timothy is the most important forage grass species in the Nordic countries. Eighty-eight timothy accessions from Nordic countries and eight accessions around Europe were analysed with recently developed simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Timothy proved to be very polymorphic: the 13 selected SSRs amplified a total of 499 polymorphic alleles, the number of alleles per SSR locus varying from 15 to 74. Taking all SSR alleles together, the observed number in each accession ranged from 95 to 203. Levels of diversity were found to be significantly different between countries, vegetation zones and different cultivar types. However, the differentiation between accessions was low: most of the variation (94%) in the studied timothy material was due to variation within accessions and only 5% was between accessions and 1% between countries. Lack of geographical differentiation may reflect the outcrossing and hexaploid nature of timothy. Our results showed that neutral SSR markers are suitable for demonstrating levels of diversity but not alone adequate to resolve population structure in timothy. Nordic timothy material seems to be diverse enough for breeding purposes and no decline in the level of diversity was observed in varieties compared to wild timothy populations. Challenges in analysing SSR marker data in a hexaploid outcrosser were discussed.     

Population structure and long-range linkage disequilibrium in a durum wheat elite collection

A collection of 134 durum wheat accessions, mainly including cultivars (cvs.) representative of the major gene pools, was assembled and characterized with 70 SSRs for genetic diversity and level of long-range linkage disequilibrium (LD). Results of both a distance-based and a model-based (Bayesian) cluster analysis evidenced the presence of a structured diversity. In the model-based analysis, six to eight main distinct subpopulations were identified based on the molecular data. Only a relatively small portion (20%) of the molecular variation was accounted for by the geographical origin of the accessions. Major differences were detected between the North American and the Mediterranean cvs., while a considerable overlap characterized the cvs. from CIMMYT-ICARDA and Italy. The North American cvs. showed the highest within group mean genetic similarity (GS_m = 0.68). French cvs. revealed sizeable similarities with both the North American as well as the Italian and CIMMYT-ICARDA pools. Considering the germplasm as a whole, high levels of LD were found both at locus pairs with an intrachromosomal distance <50 cM as well as at those with distances more than 50 cM and independent (86, 52 and 54% of SSR pairs at p < 0.01, respectively). After re-evaluating LD within each of the three main subgroups identified through the analysis of the germplasm structure, the LD level remained high for tightly to moderately linked locus pairs (<20 cM apart), but was greatly reduced in the loosely linked (more than 50 cM apart) and independent locus pairs. The implications of these findings as to the possibility of using association mapping for gene/QTL discovery in durum wheat are discussed.     

Evaluation of Macroscopic and Microscopic Components of Partial Resistance to Leaf Rust in Durum Wheat

Leaf rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia triticina, is considered one of the most important foliar diseases in durum wheat. Hypersensitive resistance (HR) may be rapidly overcome by the pathogen when resistant cultivars are grown on a large acreage or following changes in virulence in the pathogen population. Prolonging the durability of the resistance requires uses of other types of resistance such as partial resistance (PR). In this study, six durum wheat lines provided by the International Center for Corn and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) with a high level of PR to leaf rust were studied in monocyclic tests in a growth chamber. Inoculations were performed on both primary and fifth leaves using the Spanish race DGB/BN. UV fluorescence microscopy was employed to determine microscopic components of the resistance, such as the number of early aborted infection units not associated with plant cell necrosis (EA?) and relative colony size (RCS) of the established infection units. Macroscopic components of PR such as latency period, infection frequency and uredinium size were measured as well. All six resistant lines were characterized by a higher EA? and smaller RCS respect to the susceptible control ‘Don Rafael’. Line 3 showed the highest level of PR. It had 22% of EA? compared with 4% in the susceptible control, and the smallest RCS (17% respect to RCS of ‘Don Rafael’) at adult plant stage. Both EA? and RCS had a high heritability (more than 97%) and the correlation with macroscopic parameters (latency period and uredinium size) was also high (significant at 0.001 level). Hence, PR to leaf rust in these durum wheat genotypes has been revealed at microscopic level (higher EA? and smaller RCS).     

Medicago truncatula in Interaction with Fusarium and Rhizoctonia Phytopathogenic Fungi: Fungal Aggressiveness,Plant Response Biodiversity and Character Heritability Indices

Fusarium and Rhizoctonia genera are important pathogens of many field crops worldwide. They are constantly evolving and expanding their host range. Selecting resistant cultivars is an effective strategy to break their infection cycles. To this end, we screened a collection of Medicago truncatula accessions against Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and Rhizoctonia solani strains isolated from different plant species. Despite the small collection, a biodiversity in the disease response of M. truncatula accessions ranging from resistant phenotypes to highly susceptible ones was observed. A17 showed relative resistance to all fungal strains with the lowest disease incidence and ratings while TN1.11 was among the susceptible accessions. As an initiation of the characterization of resistance mechanisms, the antioxidant enzymes’ activities, at the early stages of infections, were compared between these contrasting accessions. Our results showed an increment of the antioxidant activities within A17 plants in leaves and roots. We also analyzed the responses of a population of recombinant inbred lines derived from the crossing of A17 and TN1.11 to the infection with the same fungal strains. The broad-sense heritability of measured traits ranged from 0.87 to 0.95, from 0.72 to 0.96, and from 0.14 to 0.85 under control, F. oxysporum, and R. solani conditions, respectively. This high estimated heritability underlines the importance of further molecular analysis of the observed resistance to identify selection markers that could be incorporated into a breeding program and thus improving soil-borne pathogens resistance in crops.